On cloud nine ...

Journalist Norshazlina Norazman was on cloud nine when she received news of her victory in an international journalism competition organized by Kazakhstan.

“They sent me an e-mail last Friday but I only realized about it on Monday,” she said of the email from Kazkhstan  Foreign Ministry.

The ministry had announced on July 1 the winners of the inaugural  “Kazakhstan in the Eyes of Foreign Media” contest. It had attracted more than 40 entries from 23 countries.

Five winners representing five regions – Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were named.

They were selected by a panel which included Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov, Kazakhtan’s Union of Journalists Chairman Seitkazy Matayev, Rixos Almaty Hotel General Manager Ibrahim Chelik and  Air Astana Public Relations Vice President Bella Tormysheva.

Norshazlina won for Asia for her three-part article about Kazakhstan.

“It was based on my nine-day visit to Kazakhstan in conjunction with the country’s 22^nd independence anniversary in December,” said the 29 year-old journalist attached with the Features and Special Issues Desk.

“ I wrote about my experience in a journal form…about what I saw, I feel, the city…”

“You know, you can flag down any car and request the driver to take you to your destination for a small fee…it was really a safe city,” she said of Almaty.

She had visited the Central Asia republic with five other Malaysian media representatives -- two from Bernama TV and one each from Utusan, Berita Harian and Harian Metro.

The first part of her articles focused on the architecture, the art and weather in the capital city, Astana.

Among the architectural wonder in the Astana panorama that she mentioned was the Hazrat Sultan Mosque – the largest in Central Asia.

“Spread over 17,000 square metres, the mosque took less that two years to build and officially opened its doors in July 2012,” she wrote in the article.

Her second segment highlighted about the Kazakh halal and traditional foods as well as traditional music.

She related her experience of savouring Kazakh’s flagship cuisine – Beshbarmak, a noodle dish that looks like lasagne sheets served with boiled meats on top, usually made from horse meat.

“Well, the taste was acceptable, though a wee bit bland, sort of a blend between venison and beef or mutton, but a little sweet and tougher,” she wrote about   horse meat.

The final installment was about the attractions in Almaty city, the former capital and in Kazakhstan.

She wrote about her visit to the famous Shymbulak ski resort about 25km from Almaty.

“Strapping up a pair of skiis, sliding down the gentle slopes of the famous Shymbulak Ski Resort was a dream come true adventure, with a bit of bravado thrown in,” said Norshazlina, who joined Bernama in 2007.

The five winners are rewarded with a trip to Almaty, Astana and Burabai, which will incorporate an extensive cultural programme and opportunities to meet with officials, academics, experts, journalists and scientists from Kazkahstan.

“The win will definitely spur me on,” she said.